Sewing-machine attachment.



J. LEASK.

SEWING MACHlNE ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED MAYXB. 1911.

1,243,193., Patented Oct. 16,1917.

INVENTOR WW BY of the device partly in section with the,

presser foot raised, and

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of TED STATES PATENT QFFTGE.

JOHN LEASK, 0F CRANBROOK, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.

SEWING-MACHINE ATTACHMENT.

Specification of Letters Ifatent.

Patented Oct. 16, 1917.

Application filed May 16,1917. Serial No. 169,011.

This invention relates to sewing machine attachments and more particularly toan attachment for sewing machines for cutting the thread and holding it after being cut.

7 One of the'main ob ects of the invention is to provide a device of the character stated which can be mounted on the presser-foot rod of a sewing machine so as to be easily accessible and, when so mounted, will not interfere with the proper. operation of the machine. A further object is to provide a device which will be actuated by raising of the presser-foot so as to tightly grip the thread after being cut so as to prevent the same from being withdrawn from the needle. A furtherobject is toprovide a device of simple construction which may be produced at very low cost. Further objects will appear from the detailed description.

In the drawings 2- Figure 1 is a side view of a presser-foot and its rod with a thread cutting device constructed in accordance with my invention applied,

Fig. 2 is a Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a similar view of a modified form section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 3.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and-2 of the drawings-the presser-foot rod 1 is mounted in the head'2 of the machine for vertical movement by means of the usual lifting lever, this rod being normally forced downward by an expansion spring so as to press the foot 3 secured on the lower end thereof against the upper surface of the fabric being sewed. A collar 4 is mounted about rod 1 and is secured in adjustment axially thereof by set screw 5. This collar carries a plate 6 having an approximately semi-circular portion 7 and an elliptical portion 8 integral therewith, the semi-circular ortion 7 of the plate having a circular opening coincident with the bore of collar 4.

An outwardly directed slightly offset cut ting. blade 9 is formed integral with the outer elliptical portion 8 of plate 6, the straight side of this blade being sharpened to provide a cutting edge 10. A leaf spring 11 is secured at its forward end to the plate 6 adj acent the front end thereof by means of a rivet 12. The lower portion of this spring is bowed as at 13. The spring 11 is provided at its upper end with an integral ring 14 which fits about presser-foot rod 1, this ring being provided with a depending lug or finger 15 which'fits snugly against the peripheral surface of rod 1. This finger serves to prevent the ring 14 from being tilted or bent upward through the action of spring 11 so as to bind on the rod thus permitting free movement of rod 1 through ring 14 at all times.

As will be noted more clearly from Fig. 1 of the drawings, the spring 11 is provided with a horizontal lower portion 16 which rests upon the upper face of the elliptical portion 8 of plate 6. When the presser-foot '3 is in lowered position, as shown, the ring 14 is below, but closely adjacent, the under face of head 2. With the spring in this position, the lower horizontal portlon 16 thereof rests loosely on the upper face of the plate, no appreciable pressure being exerted on the plate by the spring due to the fact that the spring is not under compression. By this means, I avoid all interference by the spring with the proper operation of the presser-foot. When the presser-foot rod 1 is raised, the ring 14 is moved into engagement with head 2 thus putting spring 11 under compression forcing the portion 16 of the spring into tight engagement with the upper surface of plate 6 so as to grip tightly a thread which may be inserted between the portion 16 of the spring and the plate.

In using my device, after the presser rod and foot are raised, the thread A from the needle and shuttle are drawn backward or away from the operator in the usual manner, being then drawn upward and inward between the spring 11 and plate 6 so as to be gripped tightly frictionally. The slack of the thread, extending in frontof plate 6, is then drawn over the cuttitng member 10 so as to be severed thereby. By this means the thread may be quickly and easily secured and cut in a single operation.

In Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings I have shown a modified form of my attachment. A supporting plate 1.9 is bent over at its ,the lower end thereof by a rivet 25. The

upper portion. of this leaf spring is bent outward so as to form a downwardly converging passage between the spring and the .blade. A collar 26 is mounted on rod land .is secured in adjustment thereon by a set screw 27 When the presser-rod 1 is raised,

. the-,collar26 serves to engage the upper portion of spring 24 soas to force the same toward the shank orbody portion of plate 19,==thus,insuring that a, thread inserted be tween. these two members will be tightly gripped .frictionally. In using this modified. formof the device, the thread A is first inserted between the leaf spring 24 and plate 19. so asto be firmly gripped thereby thus a serving to prevent -,accidentalwithdrawal of the thread from the needle and shuttle,

thethread being then drawn across blade 23 so as to be cut thereby.

To accommodate the plate19 and spring 24, collar 26 is provided with an integral .oifset rectangular casingior pocket 28, as

shown more clearly-in Fig. 4 of thedrawlngs.

. Asshown in Figs. 1.;and2 ofthe drawings, the collar 4. is provided .with an off set portion 28 similar. to pocket 28 of .collar 26.

This member 28 serves as a guide member engaglng themner edge of ,sprlng 11 so as I to hold the lower horizontal portion 16 ,thereof in proper relative position to the elliptical portion 8 of'blade 6, .;and preventing inward movement or play of the spring. ,TlllS devicemay be constructed at very low cost and may bequickly and easily applied-to a sewing machine of standard constructiona In the form shown in'Figs. 1 and 2,. .the spring 11 is not thrownintopperation-so as to gripthe thread tightly until the presser-foot is raised. This avoids all interferenceof this spring with the proper operation of the presser-foot, while insurthat,the=thread will be tightly gripped when. the machine is, not in operation. The r gripping spring shown in Figs. 3 and 4 operates very similarly to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the spring 24 being forced toward the plate 19 only when the presserfoot is raised, so as to grip the thread tightly.

What I claim is: 1. In sewing machine attachments, the combination with a presser-foot rod, .of a

collar adjustable thereon, cutting means adjacent the collar, and thread gripping means adapted to be moved into operatlve positlon so as to grip a thread tightly when the presser-foot rod is raised, said gripping means being connected to the collar so as to be adjusted thereby. i

' 2. In sewing machine attachments, the combination with a sewing machine, a head and apresser-foot rod operable therein, of a plate carried by said rod and adjustable axially of the same, cuttingmeanscarried by said plate, anda resilientthread gripping member carried by said plate and confined between the same and the-head, said gripping member beingsecured' to the plate in advance of the rod whereby, when said rod is raised, the resilient thread gripping member is pressed into close contact with the plate so as to grip tightly'frictionally a thread inserted between said member andplate. I v

8. In sewing machine attachments, the combination with a head anda presser-foot rod operable. therein, of a platecarried by the rod and adjustable axially ofthe same, said platebeing provided with thread cut ting means, and a bowed leaf spring secured at its lower 'end'to the plate in advance of said rod and provided at its upper end with a ring fitting about said rod closely jadj acent ,theunder face of said head.

4. In sewing machine attachments, a collar adapted to fit onto a presser-foot .rod of a sewingmachine', a plate carried'thereby and provided with thread cutting means,

and a leaf spring secured at its'lower end to said plate and provided at its nppenend with a ring adapted to fit about a presserfoot rod. In testimony. whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. JOHN 1 LEASK.

I lVitnesses:

' CyM. ORMSTON,

'N. A, W.ALLING R.

,Copies of this patent may be obtained for five centsv each,. by addressing the Commissioner of-l'atents,

Washington, D50. 

